American History X Page #18

Inside, a black woman orders a dozen doughnuts from a

short Korean.man behind the counter. Her young daughter

grabs her leg. Danny sits down and reads Derek's paper.

DEREK:

What do you want?

DANNY:

Maple bar and a...large milk.

Derek smiles at the little girl while he waits. She

wanders from her mother's leg and over towards Derek.

DEREK:

(to the girl)

You look pretty.

She laughs.

TISHA:

Thank you.

DEREK:

How do I look?

BLACK GIRL:

(bashfully)

Fine.

DANNY'S POV. He looks up from the paper. He watches the

girl together with his brother.

DEREK:

What's your name?

BLACK GIRL:

Tisha.

DEREK:

How old are you, Tisha?

She holds up four fingers. Derek smiles.

BLACK MOTHER:

(staring at Derek)

Come here, Tisha.

Tisha returns to her mother and they quickly exit. Derek

watches the girl as she continues to stare at him as they

make their way down the street.

Outside, a BLUE FORD screeches out front. Rasmussen and

the Young Mark Fuhrman type from earlier get out and

wait. Dr. Sweeney meets the duo and together they walk

inside.

DEREK:

What's goin' on?

SWEENEY:

We need to talk, Derek.

DEREK:

How'd you find out I was here?

SWEENEY:

We were just at your apartment.

RASMUSSEN:

Cammeron and Seth are in the ICU at

St. Johns, Derek. They were jumped in

front of Ben's Burgets early this

morning.

Derek thinks to himself for a few more seconds.

DEREK:

How bad?

RASMUSSEN:

They'll live.

(then)

They must have been looking for

somebody else.

Derek stares at Rasmussen and walks away.

Sweeney, who knows to walk over to him.

He eyes

TIGHT ON SWEENEY AND DEREK. The two lock eyes.

SWEENEY:

Are they coming after you?

DEREK:

F***in' A.

Sweeney sighs.

SWEENEY:

I don't know.

(after a long beat)

You might have to talk to your old

crew though.

Derek looks over and analyzes the innocence of his

brother.

DEREK:

I can't, Sweeney.

SWEENEY:

Try, Derek. Okay?

Derek senses the danger in his voice.

SWEENEY:

Okay? Before it explodes.

Sweeney walks away and then turns back to Derek.

SWEENEY:

And watch your back.

Derek nods.

SWEENEY:

(back to Danny)

You showing up today?

Danny looks at Sweeney and nods his head yes.

SWEENEY:

Good.

CUT TO:

EXT. VENICE HIGH - DEREK AND DANNY

They are outside the fence surrounding the field.

Students head off to morning class.

DEREK:

Hey. Keep your head up, alright? I'm

going to take care of this.

DANNY:

How?

DEREK:

I don't know. I'll figure it out

though. You gonna be okay?

DANNY:

Yeah.

The two stare at each other as THE BELL RINGS.

DANNY:

I gotta turn that paper in.

Danny hops the fence with his backpack on. He looks back

at Derek. Cops #1 and #2 sit in their car in the b.g.

DEREK:

Hey.

DANNY:

What?

DEREK:

Come here.

Derek puts his hand over the fence. Danny walks up and

clasps it -- FINGERS INTERTWINED. Derek wants to say one

thing but something else comes out.

DEREK:

I'll see you at home.

Danny smiles at his brother and nods. Danny puts his ear

phones on and heads to class. Derek watches his brother

through the chain-link fence. Danny meets up with Lizzy

and they soon disappear from Derek's sight. Derek turns

and walks down the street.

COP #1

You need a lift anywhere?

DEREK:

Nope.

Derek stops in his tracks, walks back over to the fence,

and stares at the school.

INT. MESSY HALLWAY - DANNY AND LIZZY

Students rush past them. Danny kisses Lizzy and she

hurries off to class. He pushes on the men's room door.

INT. SCHOOL BATHROOM - SAME

Danny enters, sets his "AMERICAN HISTORY X" PAPER on top

of the sink, and takes an unearthly long piss at the

urinal. He finishes, flushes and turns.

Standing there is LITTLE HENRY. A GUN IN HIS HAND.

DANNY:

Jesus Christ. What are you doing,

Henry?

LITTLE HENRY:

(afraid)

What does it look like I'm doin'?

DANNY:

Come on, man, no. You don't want to

do this. Come on. Henry?

THE DOOR SMACKS OPEN and Danny moves to grab the pistol.

It discharges and a bullet rockets into Danny's chest.

He SLAMS back into the URINAL and gasps for air. The

force of the pistol knocks Henry to the ground. The two

kids who just entered bolt for help.

Danny slides to the tile, leaving a bloody trail. The

two stare at each other - EYE TO EYE. THE BLOODSTAINED

PAPER falls into the DAMP SINK. Danny inhales like glass

is raking his lungs.

LITTLE HENRY:

(terrified)

Danny?

Danny's breathing slows to a choked whisper. He blinks,

coughs, twitches. And dies.

LITTLE HENRY:

Vinyard? Danny?

Henry watches teary-eyed with the same altered look Derek

had after killing Lawrence. Together they FREEZE on the

cold tile floor.

CUT TO:

INT. HALL AT VENICE HIGH BATHROOM - YELLOW POLICE TAPE

Officers and detectives monitor the area. Young

students, including Lizzy and her friends, stand around

and cry. Rasmussen brings THE BLOODY PAPER over to

Sweeney. Sweeney looks at it for a moment but is

interrupted.

RASMUSSEN:

He won't let go. Will you talk to

him?

INT. BATHROOM - TIGHT ON DEREK AND DANNY

Derek cradles his bloody brother. Sweeney walks over,

crouches, and talks to Derek's back.

SWEENEY:

Derek? You gotta let him go, man.

They gotta get him outta here.

DEREK:

I can't.

Derek begins to cry outright. He can't control himself.

He lets go of Danny's corpse and charges out into the

hall.

INT. HALLWAY - DORIS AND DAVINA

Derek embraces them. Doris grabs his face -- torn

between love and hate. Guilt-ridden, Derek tears from

them and storms down the hall with Sweeney soon in tow.

SWEENEY:

Derek! I know what you're thinkin'

right now and I want you to forget

about it!

DEREK:

How the luck do you know what I'm

thinkin', Sweeney!?

SWEENEY:

Cause I'm thinkin' the same damn

thing!

Drowning in rage, Derek turns back to a misty eyed

Sweeney.

DEREK:

They shot him in a f***ing...pisshole!

SWEENEY:

And goin' after them won't bring him

back. Don't do it, Derek. Please,

man. You've come too far. The war is

over.

Derek contemplates the situation and presses his tongue

against his teeth, crackbrained. Sweeney slowly

approaches and cautiously wraps his arms around the young

man. Derek buries his tearing face in Sweeney's

shoulder.

DEREK:

It stops now, Sweeney.

Sweeney nods and the two lock eyes. Derek makes his way

back to Doris and Davina and together, they grieve.

DANNY (V/O)

We've heard it a million times, a

Bible quote become cliche: "Vengeance

is mine, sayeth the Lord."

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SCHOOL BATHROOM - DANNY AND HENRY

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